aircannonsinc Chapter 265 On Loyalty Only for the Savior
Chapter 265 On Loyalty Only for the Savior
Chapter 265 On Loyalty Only for the Savior
Picking up where we left off, the house-elf came to report that Helbo had made a move. Harry was startled upon hearing this, and without even looking at Draco beside him, he told him to slip away to a secluded spot.
Ron and Hermione had already sensed something was wrong, so they quickly followed and stood on either side of Harry, listening intently.
Harry said, "Tell me in detail how Helbo moved, without missing a single detail."
The house-elf said respectfully, "After Mr. Helbo left the auditorium, he did not return to his office, but went to the Forbidden Forest."
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Ron listened, scratched his head, and said, "What's wrong with sneaking into the Forbidden Forest? I think any wizard with the ability to protect themselves would be tempted to take a trip there."
"After all, there are many rare and magical creatures in that place that can be used as ingredients for potions, and Snape often went hunting in the Forbidden Forest."
Harry felt there was some truth to this, but he didn't dare to dismiss it lightly, and asked the house-elf again, "Did you see which way that fellow went?"
"It's located in the northwest direction."
Hermione pondered for a long time, then her expression suddenly changed, and she exclaimed, "No! The ruins of the centaur tribe are to the northwest! Lockhart is buried there too!"
Upon hearing this, Harry and the others immediately understood. It was highly likely that Helbo had gone into the Forbidden Forest on Voldemort's orders to steal Lockhart's remains.
Ron, thinking of robbing graves and stealing bones, was like salt thrown into a fire, leaping three feet high. Muttering curses, he rushed into the Forbidden Forest.
Hermione quickly stepped in front of him to block his way, and turned to the house-elf, saying, "Go tell Professor Dumbledore about this and ask him to use the forbidden spells in the school to deal with Helbo."
Before he could finish speaking, Harry stepped forward, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, and said, "Big sister, please wait. In my humble opinion, rather than asking Professor Dumbledore to come, it would be better for us to handle this ourselves."
Ron and Hermione were both startled by these words and stared at Harry. The house-elf, who had been about to leave, also stopped and turned to look, dumbfounded.
Hermione frowned slightly and asked, "Harry? What are you planning to do?"
Harry said seriously, "As the ancients said, a thoroughbred horse cannot be raised in a stable, and a true dragon cannot swim in an earthenware pot. My elder sister and brother are both very skilled, but they rarely encounter someone of equal ability to hone their skills at school."
"Dumbledore himself praised Helbo's methods as quite remarkable," and today is a perfect opportunity; why don't you two use him as a whetstone to test your mettle?
"What do you and your brother think?"
Hermione's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, and she thought to herself that there was some truth to it.
Ron was overjoyed and scratched his head, saying anxiously, "Harry's right, let's hurry up and go! It'll be too late if that guy really digs up Lockhart's grave!"
The three of them immediately engaged the house-elf in combat. With a sharp "snap," the scenery suddenly shifted, and they found themselves deep within the Forbidden Forest.
Harry instructed the house-elf, "Go back to the Chamber of Secrets and keep a close eye on Draco's writing. I'll take care of things here."
The house-elf bowed and accepted the order, snapped his fingers, and vanished with a "poof".
Without further delay, the three headed northwest. After traveling for about fifteen minutes, a desolate and empty area suddenly appeared before them—the former site of the centaur tribe.
Upon closer inspection, one could indeed see Helbo standing amidst the ruins, looking around in bewilderment.
Harry hid behind an old tree and said in a low voice, "Big sister and brother, go and meet that guy. With me here to keep things under control, don't worry."
Ron and Hermione responded in unison, splitting up to the left and right, each using the tall trees and grass to conceal themselves, and silently surrounded Halberd.
After wandering among the ruins for a while, Herbo finally arrived at Lockhart's tomb.
The tombstone was dilapidated and entwined with withered vines. As he crouched down to examine the inscription, the dense forest behind him suddenly lost its color.
The branches and leaves withered and curled up instantly, as if drained of all their life force, turning into ashes in a flurry. The lush green grass was scorched as if by fire, withering and spreading in all directions.
The parched, yellow earth rushed to Halbor's feet. He saw it, turned sharply, and saw Hermione leap out in her drought spirit form, clapping her hands together and shouting, "End of all curses!"
With a shout, a powerful pressure descended upon him. Helbo felt his magical power being suppressed, unable to muster even a fraction of it.
He remained unhurried, meeting Hermione's gaze intently for a moment, her eyes revealing black sclera and white pupils. He then said thoughtfully, "Interesting. Is this your Animagus form? A magical creature?"
"I thought Animagus could only transform into ordinary animals."
Hermione's heart sank upon hearing this. Even Voldemort hadn't seen through her tricks, yet this fellow had seen right through her.
She didn't answer, but instead pressed her magic power even harder, pouring it all onto Helbo, suffocating him and preventing him from circulating any magic power at all.
Helbo didn't struggle, but stood quietly with his expression unchanged. "What's the point? I can't use magic, and you can't use any other spells."
Seeing that Helbo was still staring blankly, not moving, Hermione suddenly grinned. "Of course it makes sense."
As the art of war says, "Feint to the east while attacking the west; distract one while striking the other." It turned out that Ron had already taken advantage of the two's standoff to quietly slip out from behind Halberd.
He twirled the willow-wood magic staff in his hand like a windmill, the tip of the staff flashing with a red light, the flames spinning and growing brighter, and then crackling like thunder in a dry sky.
No sooner said than done! Seven or eight steps away from Helbo, Ron leaped up, his willow staff wrapped in wind, thunder, and fire, and smashed down on his head.
Seeing that the tip of the stick was no more than three inches from the top of his head, Ron was secretly delighted.
Unexpectedly, Herbo suddenly turned around, took a deep breath, and made a strange sound in his throat.
"Drink—Te!"
A spittle shot out swiftly, striking Ron squarely in the right eye.
Ron felt a sharp pain in his eyes and snapped them shut. He felt his ankle being gripped by a force like an iron clamp, and with a strong pull, he fell to the ground with a thud.
All she could hear was Hermione's startled cry, followed by the sound of a sharp wind rushing closer.
"Aren't you going to help?"
In the shadows of the dense forest, Salazar's portrait floated gently beside Harry, saying, "That little redhead is going to die."
Harry, however, remained rooted to the spot, saying quietly, "Brother, you underestimate me. Do you think my skills are limited to this?"
Before he finished speaking, the scene suddenly changed! From the gaps in Ron's willow-shaped magic staff, thousands of silver rays suddenly burst forth, dazzling like a cascading galaxy.
With a "hum," it burst open, transforming into a bright, dazzling glass dome that enveloped both Ron and Helbo within.
Remember that this stick contains 1,942 time converters, which are now activated simultaneously, turning time upside down like flowing water.
Ron, who had already fallen to the ground, floated away from the dust and hovered in mid-air again, still poised to strike with his staff.
Helbo also unconsciously stood up and took several steps back. The spit he had just spat out flew back up from Ron's eyes, not a single drop falling into his mouth.
Sarah examined the situation closely and remained silent for a while before saying, "This trick is suitable for use when someone is using the toilet."
At this moment, the silver light gradually faded, and the glass dome quietly dissipated, allowing the flowing time within to surge forward once more.
It was as if time had turned back, allowing them to start over. Ron quickly tilted his neck to the side, and Halberd swallowed his saliva, only to choke and cough violently.
Ron's willow-shaped magic staff continued its trajectory, striking him squarely on the top of the head with a "whoosh".
But then a deafening roar, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, erupted. All the accumulated lightning and fire magic on the staff burst forth, and a red light shot up more than three zhang high, illuminating the entire site of the centaur tribe as bright as day.
When the firelight subsided, Hermione looked closely and saw that where Helbo had stood, there was only billowing black smoke, and not a single person in sight.
She breathed a sigh of relief and stopped.
Ron's expression remained tense; he simply twirled the willow stick, then thrust it forcefully towards the sky with the tip, shouting, "Go!"
A gust of wind surged from the stick, whipping up the black smoke that filled the ground, rising like a black dragon ascending to the sky, before dissipating completely in an instant.
When the black smoke dissipated, a scorched pit two or three zhang deep was revealed on the ground, with some thin, burnt skin scattered at the bottom.
Ron used the tip of his stick to pick up a piece of skin and brought it close to his eyes for a closer look. The skin was light and translucent, like a snake's shed skin.
His pupils constricted sharply, and he shouted, "No! This guy might not be dead yet!"
Before he finished speaking, a few steps behind Ron, the air suddenly rippled like water, revealing a bald, smooth-skinned, fair-skinned Halbo.
He raised his wand and chanted, "Wind Sweep."
As soon as the incantation ended, a strange wind suddenly arose from the ground. At first, it only caused the robes to flutter, but in an instant, it swirled into a towering pillar of wind that roared and howled, like a dragon sucking water.
Ron and Hermione felt their feet suddenly sink into the air, and their bodies were about to be swept away by the wind, spinning like tops.
Helbo flicked his wand in the wind again. A few sparks flew from the tip of the wand, and when they touched the column of wind, they burst into flames with a "boom".
The wind fanned the flames, and the fire, aided by the wind, instantly transformed into a fiery tornado, baring its fangs and claws with imposing force, scorching the surrounding vegetation.
Hermione felt a wave of heat wash over her, and the curls at her temples turned a scorched yellow, as if they were about to burn her whole body.
Ron quickly shoved the Willow Demon Cudgel into the ground and shouted, "Grow!"
Suddenly, hundreds of roots sprouted from the stick, plunging deep into the scorched earth like dragons. Several thick vines also wrapped around the waists and legs of the two men, pinning them firmly to the flames.
As soon as they regained their footing, Hermione gritted her teeth, and veins bulged on her forehead.
She suddenly spread her arms and pushed hard against the fire tornado. A surge of invisible magic power erupted like a tidal wave, turning everything within a ten-mile radius into dust. The fire tornado vanished instantly upon impact.
The wind died down and the fire went out, and the two of them fell downwards.
Helbo, who had seen it clearly from afar, was not about to let such a good opportunity slip by. He immediately raised his staff and struck out a deadly curse.
Just as Hermione was about to push Ron away, the Killing Curse suddenly split in two halfway through its journey, striking them squarely on the top of their heads.
Ron and Hermione's faces turned deathly pale, their eyes lost all light, and they collapsed limply to the ground, lifeless.
Helbert stared at the corpse for a long time, then suddenly threw his wand, raised both hands above his head, and shouted, "Mr. Potter, I concede."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ron and Hermione's bodies vanished in a flash, disappearing without a trace.
Three feet away from him, Ron held the Willow Cudgel against his left side; on her right, Hermione's palm held a ball of Killing Curse light that flickered erratically.
Directly in front of him, Harry held a knife and a staff, the blade grazing his body like a swimming fish.
The three men formed a pincer movement, blocking their escape route like an iron barrel.
Helbo clicked his tongue and said, "That's a really disgusting trick. I was on guard, but I still fell for it."
Harry said with a half-smile, "I've long heard of your despicable nickname, 'Helpo,' and today I see it's true."
"I'm going to ask you a few questions now. If you answer honestly, you might save your life."
Helbo said calmly, "Please ask, Mr. Potter."
"Was it you who attempted the assassination on Privet Road that day?"
"Yes."
"But Voldemort sent you to Hogwarts?"
"Yes."
"What are you planning to do by sneaking into the forbidden forest at night?"
"Looking for the Horsemen Tribe".
Before he could finish speaking, Ron jabbed the willow stick hard into his waist and yelled, "Be honest, tell the truth!"
"That's the truth." Helbo staggered from the provocation, but regained his balance and said, "I originally wanted to ask them to make a prophecy, but I didn't expect they had already escaped."
Harry was puzzled. "What do you, the horse hunter, want to know?"
Helbo stared intently at Harry. "Who would win between you and Voldemort?"
Harry found this even more puzzling. "Who wins or loses has nothing to do with you. Since that guy brought you back to life, shouldn't you just obey his orders?"
Helbo said, "A soulless walking corpse does indeed need a master to give it commands, but I have retrieved the Horcrux I left behind."
"Now, I am no different from people in the broadest sense."
Hermione pondered for a moment after hearing these words, then frowned and said, "Wait, if you're completely free from Voldemort's control, why are you working for him?"
"A wizard as renowned as you, who once dominated an era, would you really be content to serve as someone else's subordinate?"
Halberd shook his head. "I don't care whose subordinate I am. I'm just saving the world and continuing what I've been doing for thousands of years."
Harry, upon hearing this, felt as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, and laughed loudly: "You idiot, at least make your lies believable!"
"According to this logic, if you, who work under Voldemort, are considered saviors, then Voldemort himself would be the savior!"
"Am I some kind of dark demon king?"
Helbo, however, remained calm and composed. Instead, he tapped the bald head twice and said seriously, "It's not impossible."
"If Voldemort can save the world, I will continue to obey his orders. If you are the one who can save the world, I can serve you too."
Hermione's words were absurd, yet delivered with such earnestness that she couldn't immediately discern their truth. After a moment's hesitation, she tentatively asked, "Hmm—Mr. Hermione? Why do you believe Voldemort will save the world?"
"He received God's favor."